[Winnipegger]

I had problems with lost luggage in the 1980s and 90s. Starting in 1997, I took just one carry-on bag. No checked luggage at all. In 1997, I flew for business, so packed everything in a brief case. But later bought a "weekender", which is the largest bag that fits under an economy class seat. When I fly within Canada, I get my boarding pass at an automated kiosk. Walk directly to the gate. No waiting in line, no check-in counter, never check any luggage. When I get to my destination, I walk off the plane, directly to a taxi. When I get home, directly to the parkade. Never wait at a luggage carrousel.

[bootlegga]

jj2424 jj2424:

bootlegga bootlegga:

jj2424 jj2424:

""What this is likely to do is possibly allow Air Canada to offer more options to consumers, but we shouldn't expect to see fares fall anytime soon,"




Book a flight on an AC Dreamliner and I'll bet you get "Rouged"

AC service is "El Crapo". Fortunately Westjet is serious in expanding worldwide routes so Canadians won't have to get "rouged"

If you think Westjet is going to be able to follow the same business model internationally as it does domestically, you're delusional. There is a reason why Southwest - North America's first discount airline and upon which Westjet is modelled - doesn't fly outside of North America.

Range. The 737 is fine for medium range flights, but can't get to Europe or Asia.

Sorry to burst your Westjet love-in...

Yeah like they'll fly a 737 more than 6 hrs

Let me bust your "red" Liberal bubble.

WestJet inching toward expanding international service with widebody aircraft

https://ca.finance.yahoo.com/news/westj ... 08784.html

http://business.financialpost.com/2013/ ... ax-planes/

WestJet may consider wide-body fleet expansion after deal to buy Boeing 737 MAX planes


To add... they are flying to Dublin this summer...with a 737.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-o ... e15455464/

Yeah, I'm sure Westjet will cash in on all that pent-up demand for flights to Dublin from St. John's. That must be a market comprised of dozens of travellers!

If they find a way to partner with Ryanair, it might make sense, but that will no doubt tick off all kinds of WJ customers as Ryanair really sucks in the customer service department.

And sure, Westjet can buy wide-bodies for overseas flights, but it then loses its biggest competitive advantage with Air Canada (a single airframe which reduces fuel, maintenance and training costs), which also has multiple airframes in service and as such, higher operating costs.

Wide-bodies are also typically less fuel-efficient than 737s/787s, so Westjet's fuel costs go up. It also loses the ability to offer no-frills flights with no meals or dedicated business seats (where the profits actually are) and must compete with Air Canada (and other international airlines) in a sector with which they have little experience or competence.

To top it off, they have to find landing slots at major international airports around the world, which are in either short supply or already owned by Air Canada. People won't be happy to fly into London and land at Stansted or Luton, then find out they have to take a train/taxi to the other side of the city to get their connecting flight out of Heathrow.

No, if Westjet is smart, they'll stay a domestic carrier (with charters to the Caribbean) and fight the urge to become Canadian Airlines part deux.

[jj2424]

Reputation alone will carry them farther than AC, they could charge the same or more and you can bet people will choose WS over AC...except people like you who hate anything "blue"

[bootlegga]

jj2424 jj2424:

Reputation alone will carry them farther than AC, they could charge the same or more and you can bet people will choose WS over AC...except people like you who hate anything "blue"

You're welcome to your Wal-mart of the skies anytime...

[jj2424]

bootlegga bootlegga:

jj2424 jj2424:

Reputation alone will carry them farther than AC, they could charge the same or more and you can bet people will choose WS over AC...except people like you who hate anything "blue"

You're welcome to your Wal-mart of the skies anytime...

ooohhh listen to Mr Ritchie rich. on 60 grand a year. Did you fly anywhere last year on your beer budget

But then again when your family is very heavy in the caboose you probably can't even fly in the cheap seats

[Jabberwalker]

Air Canada's new "Dreamliner" Economy Class seating plan:

[BartSimpson]

Prof_Chomsky Prof_Chomsky:

I wish we lived in a world where people looked at union jobs and said "I should be paid that well too and I should buckle down and get an education and then demonstrate to my employer my value so I'll get paid more instead of just demanding more money while not doing a damned thing to earn it."

Bravo! Bravo, Professor!

[BartSimpson]

jj2424 jj2424:

ooohhh listen to Mr Ritchie rich. on 60 grand a year.

If you are debt-free then $60,000 per year is a very comfortable income.

[Gunnair]

BartSimpson BartSimpson:

jj2424 jj2424:

ooohhh listen to Mr Ritchie rich. on 60 grand a year.

If you are debt-free then $60,000 per year is a very comfortable income.

If you live modestly and within your means, 60 grand can be quite fine with a mortgage as well.

[2Cdo]

Gunnair Gunnair:

BartSimpson BartSimpson:

jj2424 jj2424:

ooohhh listen to Mr Ritchie rich. on 60 grand a year.

If you are debt-free then $60,000 per year is a very comfortable income.

If you live modestly and within your means, 60 grand can be quite fine with a mortgage as well.

I was quite comfortable on my pay in the military. Traveled often, mortgage almost paid off, vehicles were paid off. Then I went to work in the patch where I discovered I was as poor as a pauper.

[Winnipegger]

Um, what? My last descent job in Winnipeg earned $38,000 per year plus benefits. Today I wish I had that. My mortgage is paid, but when I had a mortgage it wasn't much and my income was even less. Purchase price was $46,500 in 1990, so mortgage payments were less than apartment rent. Today the city assessment is $102,00 and market value is higher. But $60,000 would be fine even if I had a mortgage. Without a mortgage, I would be rolling in dough.

I did have an "extreme" income once: $50/hour in US funds with 8 billable hours per day. That works out to US$100,000/year, or using exchange rate that the bank gave me at the time, CAD$142,000/year. Only earned that for 9 1/2 months. And had to pay my own moving expenses. And paid on "net 30 days", which meant I worked a month before submitting my first invoice, then another month before my first paycheque. No EI, no CPP, and didn't qualify for America Social Security. But had to pay into American Social Security. Paid income taxes to both countries, even though I wasn't a resident of Canada. Canadian taxes let me deduct what I paid to the IRS as "foreign tax credit", but had a complicated formula that resulted in ducting less than I paid. It always works that way. Had to pay mortgage, property tax, and utilities for my house in Winnipeg, and apartment rent and utilities in Miami. Apartment rent was as high as Toronto. And groceries that cost CAD$1 in Winnipeg cost US$1 in Miami. And no health insurance, but I was healthy. Despite all that, when I got back to Winnipeg there was only 3 months on my mortgage. I certainly don't ever expect to get an income like that in Winnipeg. Employers here just don't pay that.

But someone claims $60,000/year is low? Really?

[bootlegga]

jj2424 jj2424:

bootlegga bootlegga:

jj2424 jj2424:

Reputation alone will carry them farther than AC, they could charge the same or more and you can bet people will choose WS over AC...except people like you who hate anything "blue"

You're welcome to your Wal-mart of the skies anytime...

ooohhh listen to Mr Ritchie rich. on 60 grand a year. Did you fly anywhere last year on your beer budget

But then again when your family is very heavy in the caboose you probably can't even fly in the cheap seats

Yeah, this isn't 1996 anymore - WestJet and Air Canada cost almost the same most flights. If there is a difference, it's usually only a few bucks. For our last flight to Toronto, Air Canada was CHEAPER than WestJet! The only place WestJet consistently beats Air Canada in price is the extra fee department, as AC charges for each checked bag, while WJ gives you one for free.

If I was all about money, I could easily earn over 100k per year, but I prefer a better work-life balance - if you want to live to work, that's up to you, I prefer to work to live.

While I may not make shit-tech money like you, I do make more than 60k a year - there's a surprising amount of money in teaching old farts like yourself how to use social media to properly market your shit-tech company to younger generations.

[Jabberwalker]

there's a surprising amount of money in teaching old farts like yourself how to use social media to properly market your shit-tech company to younger generations.

You're a professional spammer?

[bootlegga]

Jabberwalker Jabberwalker:

there's a surprising amount of money in teaching old farts like yourself how to use social media to properly market your shit-tech company to younger generations.

You're a professional spammer?

Actually, I teach people how NOT to spam, which is much harder than it sounds.

That is usually how old farts like JJ approach social media;

9:00 am BUY MY CRAP/CALL MY SERVICE!
10:00 am BUY MY CRAP/CALL MY SERVICE!
11:00 am BUY MY CRAP/CALL MY SERVICE!
Noon BUY MY CRAP/CALL MY SERVICE!
1:00 pm BUY MY CRAP/CALL MY SERVICE!
2:00 pm BUY MY CRAP/CALL MY SERVICE!
3:00 pm BUY MY CRAP/CALL MY SERVICE!
4:00 pm BUY MY CRAP/CALL MY SERVICE!
5:00 pm BUY MY CRAP/CALL MY SERVICE!

And so on until everyone tunes them out. In JJ's case, I think the first example is almost literally true!

In fairness, it's not really their fault, as that's how they were marketed to all their lives.

But marketing in new media is an entirely different animal than that - and if you want to reach younger people these days (most everyone under 40), advertising in the paper on or the radio simply doesn't cut it.

[jj2424]

bootlegga bootlegga:

Jabberwalker Jabberwalker:

there's a surprising amount of money in teaching old farts like yourself how to use social media to properly market your shit-tech company to younger generations.

You're a professional spammer?

Actually, I teach people how NOT to spam, which is much harder than it sounds.

That is usually how old farts like JJ approach social media;

9:00 am BUY MY CRAP/CALL MY SERVICE!
10:00 am BUY MY CRAP/CALL MY SERVICE!
11:00 am BUY MY CRAP/CALL MY SERVICE!
Noon BUY MY CRAP/CALL MY SERVICE!
1:00 pm BUY MY CRAP/CALL MY SERVICE!
2:00 pm BUY MY CRAP/CALL MY SERVICE!
3:00 pm BUY MY CRAP/CALL MY SERVICE!
4:00 pm BUY MY CRAP/CALL MY SERVICE!
5:00 pm BUY MY CRAP/CALL MY SERVICE!

And so on until everyone tunes them out. In JJ's case, I think the first example is almost literally true!

In fairness, it's not really their fault, as that's how they were marketed to all their lives.

But marketing in new media is an entirely different animal than that - and if you want to reach younger people these days (most everyone under 40), advertising in the paper on or the radio simply doesn't cut it.

WTF are you waffling on about now?